More Than Meets the Eye
by katbybee
Summary: An unusual bedtime story as told by one particular agent to his injured partner. The subject? Well, that's why they are the guest stars in this fandom, and not the other way around. Read on, and all will be revealed… Rewritten from a previous story that was improperly formatted. Please review.


**April 1972**

**U.N.C.L.E. Headquarters**

**New York City**

"You, know, Illya_,_ if you would stop insisting on getting yourself into these situations, we could stop having to make these little side trips." Napoleon Solo couldn't help but tease his friend and U.N.C.L.E. partner just a bit, now that Medical had assured him that Illya would be fine.

For his part, Kuryakin sniffed indignantly and shifted painfully in his hospital bed. "Well, yes, Napoleon, but you must admit, it was a small sacrifice in order to see Agent McCall once again. I am quite sure," he added drily, "the two of you had plenty of time to catch up while I lay in that emergency room writhing in pain?"

Their banter was interrupted by Nurse Murphy, who entered, checked her patient's vitals, smiled, and inserted some medication into Illya's IV. She told him, "Only for sleep. I know you hate pain meds, and the doctor has indicated you may be released tomorrow." She smiled at the slightly built blond agent and left the room, completely ignoring the older agent in the chair, other than to give him a smoldering glare as she walked out. Illya snickered, assuming correctly that Solo's legendary charm had backfired on him with the pretty nurse. Solo, totally unruffled, continued the conversation smoothly.

"Actually, our visit was quite pleasant, and stop it. You know the doctors took very good care getting the bullet out of your leg and seeing to your pain. As much as you dislike Los Angeles, they are _not_ barbarians there." The American chided his Russian partner gently, a twinkle in his eye. "Nurse McCall is the ultimate professional at what she does!"

"On that, you will _never_ get an argument from me, Napoleon," his friend assured him. "It still amazes me that she has maintained her cover so well for all these years. She was recruited from—where, again?"

"Don't play dumb, Illya. It doesn't suit you. You know you just like for me to tell you the story. Very well, just settle in, and let your Uncle Tovarisch tell you a bedtime story as your medication takes you off to the Land of Nod."

As always, when injured, and _allowing_ medication to work; Illya was confused. His literal mind was combining with the fact that American idioms still baffled him somewhat.

"Uhhh…Napoleon, 'Uncle Friend' makes no sense whatsoever, and where in the hell is the 'land of nod' and why would I want to go there? I am quite comfortable at the moment, thank you."

Napoleon merely laughed and began the tale of the true first lady of U.N.C.L.E.

"Well, my friend, as you may remember, Major Dixie McCall had been in Korea as Head Nurse of a M*A*S*H unit for seventeen hellish months. She had been due to rotate out twice already, but had opted to stay, because she knew the doctors and the soldiers there needed her. Her father was angry with her decision, but she felt she was right. As you well know, when Dixie feels she is right about something, there is no talking her out of her position.

"Anyway, on the night of the final bug out of her unit, she stayed with some critical patients who could not be moved. This was not an unusual move for nurses of her caliber during wartime. But it didn't quell the fear or make the consequence of her actions any easier. Major McCall, three other nurses and two doctors were captured by the North Koreans. The truck they were riding in was bombed in the middle of the night on their way north. The survivors; one doctor and two nurses, escaped into the jungle. The other nurse never made it out of the jungle. Though the other two tried hard to save her, she was too severely injured.

"The doctor, one Lt. Col. Joseph Early, and Major McCall, made it to an Army supply depot, and were sent on to another M*A*S*H, where they were both treated and eventually evac'd to Seoul. Dixie was awarded her unit's citation, and Dr. Early, already a top-notch neurologist, went back home to Los Angeles and private practice—not knowing he would day be reunited with his old friend.

"Major McCall had been in U.N.C.L.E.'s sights for some time at that point. She was recruited straight from Los Angeles, not long after the end of the war. In every training situation U.N.C.L.E. put her into, Dixie McCall excelled. She was tough and canny. She beat records long held to be unbeatable, and indeed, many that were not beaten until yours truly came along a few classes behind her. We met and became quite good friends. She never once fell for me. I never understood it, but I never held it against her either." Napoleon chuckled as he noticed Illya drowsily rolling his eyes.

"We were sent out on a few missions together before it was decided that it was wiser to capitalize on Dixie's greatest assets, which were not her legs, though I know that might be hard to believe. She was assigned to a hospital in Los Angeles where she could keep an eye on agents and other persons of interest who made their way around the West Coast. She signed on as Chief of Nursing in a brand-new specialty under one Dr. Kelly Brackett, the Chief of Emergency Medicine at Rampart Hospital.

"She'd been there all of three days when she was introduced to one of Dr. Brackett's closest friends. Dr. Joe Early was just as charming and wonderful as she had remembered him, and just as skilled. He was the head of Neurology at Rampart, as well as running his own private practice. Dixie had never forgotten Joe, and if circumstances had been different, she might even have fallen for him. I know all this because Dixie and I have remained in touch over the years, and I am something of a confidant for her… a sort of big brother.

"Her experiences in Korea are something she never discusses with anyone—not even her closest friends in Los Angeles. As you know, tovarisch, Dixie has remained one of our most valuable assets to date."

At this point in the story, Napoleon glanced over at his best friend only to realize his "bedtime story" had indeed succeeded. Illya Kuryakin was fast asleep; gently navigating, despite himself, the Land of Nod.

**~The End~**

A/N: In "Emergency!: The Wedsworth-Townsend Act" (The Pilot Movie) It is established that Rampart's Head Nurse Dixie McCall was in Korea and received her unit's citation. The rest of the story is pure AU creative license on my part.


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